Molded laundry tub



B. E. MUSTEE MOLDED LAUNDRY TUB Feb. is, 196% R. 5 a m M m t w a y Filed April 20, 1967 Sam/4w E. MusTEE BY 9% ATTORNEYS Feb. 18, 1969 us-r55 3,427,664

MOLDED LAUNDRY TUB Filed April 20, 1967 INVENTOR. BERNARD E. MusTE/s 90 BY Q/ f/ma/Ww,

- ZM/wd Mk0 ATTORNEYS.

Feb. 18, 199

B. E. MUSTEE 3,427,664 MOLDED LAUNDRY TUB Filed April 20, 1967 INVENTOR. BERNARD E. Musree BYWa/ZQU WW I M United States Patent 12 Claims ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE A laundry tub having two tub compartments and a construction such that the tub can be molded as a strong, one-piece unit adaptable either to be hung on a wall or supported on legs.

Background of the invention This invention relates generally to laundry tubs, and more specifically to a new, molded double laundry tub of unexpected strength and rigidity.

Conventional wall-hung laundry tub installations have usually consisted of a single compartment tub. When two tub compartments were desired, a conventional practice was simply to mount two single tubs side-by-side. The assembly and mounting of two single tubs side-by-side was time-consuming, and many of these conventional wall tub constructions were such that they alternatel could not be supported on legs in a stable manner.

Several problems have been encountered in attempts to design a double laundry tub which could be molded as a one-piece unit and which would have the necessary strength and rigidity. It was known 0t form a single tub with a rearwardly extending ledge so that the tub could be supported in cantilever fashion by a wall bracket. When it was attempted simply to duplicate this conventional construction to provide an integral unit with two tub compartments, it was found that the weight imposed upon the double tub during use would frequently cause the tub to fail. In particular, the rear ledge in which the stresses were concentrated tended to twist and the tub would crack in the area where the ledge joined to the rear wall. Other difficulties which were encountered in molding a double tub unit included cracking and improper molding of the material of the tub in the area between the two compartments.

Another problem in the manufacture of laundry tubs has been to provide a molded construction which could be securely mounted on legs in a relatively simple manner. With prior molded constructions, it was difficult to secure legs to the tubs in a manner which prevented swaying of the tub assembly when in use. Further difficulties were involved in molding bolt holes in the tubs and preventing leakage around the leg fastening structure. In order to overcome these difficulties, it was the common practice prior to this invention to support a molded tub on a separately fabricated metal base which engaged-the bottom wall of the tub and to which the legs were fastened. These separately fabricated metal bases were relatively expensive and presented other problems in anchoring the tub so that it would not rock or rotate on the base.

Summary of the invention The new double tub of this invention has a construction which overcomes the foregoing problems and is such that the tub can be molded as an attractive unit with the necessary strength and rigidity to permit the tub to be mounted conveniently by a cantilever wall bracket. In its preferred form, the new tub is comprised of front, back, side and bottom walls, and a center dividing wall which separates the tub into two compartments. The bottom portion of the center dividing wall is bifurcated to define two ice spaced apart wall sections. An elongated opening may be provided through the lower portion of the back wall and/ or the front wall into communication with the space between the bifurcated center wall sections. The height of. the opening is less than the height of te bifurcated wall sections, wereby a strengthening web bridges the space between the wall sections. This formation of the new tub reduces the amount of material which is required in the tub and eleminates problems of cracking of thick molded wall sections.

The new tub also includes a top ledge which extends rearwardly of the back wall. The top rear portion of the center dividing wall is coextensive with the ledge and provides a support portion which extends forwardly from the back wall. This support portion contributes unexpected strength to the tub and permits the tub to support heavy loads when mounted on a wall without cracking of the ledge and other portions of the tub walls.

Another feature of the new tub construction resides in a formation of the center dividing wall which permits water to flow from one of the tub compartments into the other compartment. In one of the disclosed embodiments of the invention, a portion of the upper edge of the center dividing wall is disposed below the level of the tops of the side, front and rear walls, and in another embodiment a hole is provided in the center wall. At the same time, the center wall structure is such as to contribute to the strength of the tub in the manner previously mentioned.

The new tub construction further comprises raised pad formations which are molded on the underside of the bottom walls at the corners of the tub. The formation of each pad is such that a leg connecting bracket can be ecurely and quickly connected to the pad by suitable fasteners.

Other features and fuller understanding of the invention will be had from the following detailed description when taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings.

Description of the drawings FIGURE 1 is a top plan view of the double tub construction comprising the preferred embodiment of this mventlon;

FIGURE 2 is a front elevational view of the tub shown in FIG. 1;

FIGURE 3 is a rear elevational view of the tub shown in FIG. 1;

FIGURE 4 is a vertical cross-sectional view taken generally on the line 4-4 of FIG. 1;

FIGURE 5 is a fragmentary, vertical cross-sectional view taken generally on the line 55 of FIG. 1, and shows the tub mounted on a wall;

FIGURE 6 is a fragmentary, bottom plan view taken generally on the line 6-6 of FIG. 2;

FIGURE 7 is a perspective view of a leg-mounting bracket;

FIGURE 8 is a perspective view showing the tub supported on legs;

FIGURE 9 is a perspective view of another preferred embodiment of the invention; and,

FIGURE 10 is a vertical cross-sectional view of the tub construction shown in FIG. 9.

Description of the preferred embodiments Referring now to the drawings, and to FIGS. 1-5 in particular, the tub of the invention is generally designated by reference numeral 10. The tub 10 is comprised of a front wall 11, a back wall 12 and outer side walls 13. The tub 10 is separated into two compartments 14 and 15 by a center wall 16 that extends between the front and rear walls parallel to the outer side walls. Each of the compartments 14 and 15 has a bottom wall 17 that is provided with a drain opening 18 adjacent the center, dividing wall 16. The bottom walls 17 slope in all directions toward the openings 18 to afford proper drainage from the tub compartments.

At the top of the tub 10 there is a rearwardly extending drain ledge 25. The ledge 25 terminates at a vertical flange 26 having a flat rear face 27 (FIG. 4). As is best shown in FIG. 8, the tub 10 also includes side flanges 28 which extend downwardly from the ends of the ledge 25. The tub 10 is preferably molded as an integral unit of a suitable, reinforced synthetic resin, su-ch as a polyester resin or the like.

In the preferred molded construction, the two compartments 14 and 15 are separated from each other on the underside of the tub. Referring particularly to FIGS. 2, 3 and 4, it will be seen that the center dividing wall 16 is bifurcated approximately midway of its height into two sections 16a and 16b. The wall sections 16a and 16b diverge toward the bottom of the tub 10 and are integrally joined into the bottom walls 17 of the compartments 14 and 15, respectively. The space between the wall sections 16a and 16b is designated by reference numeral 35 and extends from the front wall 11 to the rear wall 12. A vertically elongated opening 36 may be formed in the lower part of the rear wall 12 in the area between the wall sections 16a and 16b. The opening 36 communicates with the space 35 and extends upwardly from the bottom of the tub to a height less than that of the wall sections 16a and 16b. The portion of the wall 12 above the opening 36 defines a web 37 that bridges the upper portion of the space 35 to strengthen and reinforce the connection between the compartments 14, 15. As will be apparent, the front wall 11 bridges the opposite end of the space 35 to provide a strengthening web 38 that extends between the tub compartments. Referring particularly to FIGURE 4, it will be seen that both of the webs 37, 38 are tapered in thickness from the tops of the wall sections 16a, 16b to the lower or bottom edges of the webs. If desired, an opening similar to the opening 36 may be provided in the front Wall 11 or both walls may be imperforate at the ends of the space 35. The described construction of the center dividing wall 16 facilitates molding of the tub 10 as a one-piece unit and reduces the amount of material that is required between the tub compartments. At the same time, the formation of the bifurcated center wall and the portions of the front and back walls which define webs bridging the space 35 between the two tub compartments make it possible to a mold a strong and rigid double tub unit.

The construction of the tub 10 is such that it can be mounted on a wall in the manner shown in FIG. by a cantilever wall hanger assembly such as disclosed in the copending application Ser. No. 499,274- of Bernard E. Mustee, filed Oct. 21, 1965. As is more fully described in the referenced application, a hanger assembly for mounting the tub may be comprised of a metal wall plate 40 and a support bracket 41. The wall plate 40 may be anchored to a wall 42 by lag bolts 43 or the like. An integral flange 44 is formed along the upper edge of the plate 40 and is bent out of the plane of the main portion of the plate so that the tub flange 26 can be engaged between the flange 44 and the wall when the tub is installed. The plate 40 also includes a pair of spaced tabs 45 (only one of which is shown in FIG. 5) having horizontal legs near the upper edge of the flange 44.

The support bracket 41 is an assembly comprising a bottom panel 50 and side panels 51 (only one of which is shown). The side panels 51 are disposed on opposite sides of the tub 10 so that the tops of the panels may be connected to the depending side flanges 28. A plurality of longitudinal hooks 52 extend from the forward edge of the panel 50 in position to engage a lip 53 at the bottom of the tub so as to contribute to the tub support and to prevent the bottom of the tub from being pulled away from the hanger during use.

When installing the tub and hanger assembly, the plate 26 is fastened to the wall 42 and, in a separate operation, the bracket 41 is assembled and connected to the tub 10. This is accomplished by engaging the hooks 52 under the lip 53 at the bottom of the tub and fastening the side panels 51 to the side flanges 28 of the tub. The assembly of the tub 10 and the bracket 41 is mounted on the wall plate by engaging the lower portion of the tub flange 26 behind the plate 30 so that the flat surface 27 of the flange 26 is against the wall 42. Suitable bolts 54 are then inserted through holes 55 of the ledge 25 and through holes in the tabs 45. Thus assembled, the hanger provides for a strong and stable mounting of the tub 10 on the wall.

The wall hung tub 10 must be formed so that it can support high loads without being damaged. The load that the tub must sustain is in part the weight of the water which can be in excess of 320 pounds when both of the compartments 14 and 15 are full. In addition to the weight of the water, the tub must be able to withstand the forces imposed by a person leaning on the front of the tub, as well as the weight of clothes and other objects in the tub compartments. When mounted on a wall in the manner shown in FIG. 5, these loads result in high stresses that are concentrated in the ledge 25 and tend to twist the ledge in the area where it is connected to the back tub wall 12.

A particularly important feature of the construction of the tub 10 resides in the formation of the upper part of the center dividing wall 16. In accordance with this invention, the upper part of the center dividing wall is formed in a manner which materially strengthens the tub and renders it capable of withstanding unexpectedly high loads, and at the same time permits water to flow from one of the compartments 14- or 15 into the other compartment without spilling from the tub.

As is best shown in FIG. 4, the top rear portion of the center dividing wall 16' defines a strengthening support section 61 which connects to the back wall 12. The upper edge of the strengthening support section 61 is shown coextensive with the level of the ledge 25. This formation of the wall 16 so that at least the back portion of its top edge is coextensive with the ledge 25 prevents the ledge from twisting in the area where it is connected to the back wall 12. The ledge structure is thus materially strengthened and the tub 10' is capable of withstanding unexpectedly high loads when mounted on a wall as shown in FIG. 4 without fracturing at the juncture of the ledge 25 and the back Wall 12.

In the embodiment of FIGS. 1-8, the center dividing wall 16 has a portion of its upper edge extending rearwardly from the front wall 11 which is below the level of the tops of the front wall 11 which is below the level of the tops of the front, back and outer side walls of the tub 10. This upper edge portion 60 defines a passage between the tub compartments 14 and 15 which permits water to flow from one compartment to the other without spilling from the tub.

As shown, the rear ledge 25 is further strengthened by a plurality of ribs molded on its undersurface. A relatively large, generally triangular shaped rib 62 extends the full depth of the ledge 25 and connects to the back tub wall 12 in line with the center dividing wall 16. Additional smaller ribs 63 and 64 (FIG. 3) are spaced between the rib 62 and each end of the ledge 25. The smaller ribs 63 and 64 are also joined to the undersurface of the ledge 25 and to the back wall 12.

A tub constructed as described above has been found capable of supporting loads in excess of 700 pounds when mounted on a wall as shown in FIG. 5. This large loadsupporting capability of the tub 10 is to a large extent due to the formation of the support 61. Tub constructions in which the support 61 was omitted and wherein the lower upper edge portion 60 was carried back to the juncture of the center dividing wall 16 with the back wall 12, failed under considerably lower loads than the tub of this invention is capable of withstanding. For example, when the support 61 was omitted and the tub was subjected to a load of approximately 500 pounds when mounted on a wall, the ledge 25 cracked near the back wall 12 and the back wall itself fractured along the juncture of the rib 62. Thus, the construction of this invention makes it possible to mold a plastic tub which can be mounted on a wall in the manner described to support large loads without failure.

In accordance with this invention the tub is formed so that it can be optionally supported on legs instead of being mounted on a wall. As shown in FIGS. 2, 6 and 8, the underside of the bottom walls 17 are formed with raised pad formations 70 at each corner of the tub 10. The pad formations 70 are generally triangular in plan view and each is comprised of a diagonal flange 71 extending across the tub corner and connecting side flanges 72. The ends of the diagonal flange 71 are joined to bosses 73. The bosses 73 have center holes 74. A larger boss 75 is molded at the juncture of the side flanges 72 and is formed with two spaced holes 76.

A leg-connecting bracket plate :80 which is shown in FIG. 7 is adapted to be secured to each of the pad formations 70. Each of the bracket plates 80 is preferably formed of metal and has a top surface *81 that conforms to the outline of the pad formation 70 and is adapted to lie against the flanges 71 and 72. Side flanges 82 extend along two sides of the bracket plate 80. Holes 83 are formed in two corners of the upper portion 81 in position to be aligned with the holes 74 of a pad formation 70. A pair of adjacent holes 84 are formed in the other corner of the bracket plate in position to be aligned with the pad holes 76. [Each of the bracket plates 80 is further provided with slots 85 near the ends of each of the side flanges 82.

In use, a bracket plate '80 is secured to each of the pad formations 70. The bracket plates 80 may be connected to the pad formations 70' by drive screws or the like which are inserted through the bracket holes 83 and 84 into the aligned pad holes 74, 76, respectively. As shown in FIG. 8, a metal leg 90 is connected to each of the bracket plates 80. The illustrated legs 90 are triangular in cross-section and are adapted to be mounted against the outer surfaces of the bracket legs 82. The legs 90 can be secured to the bracket legs 82 by suitable fasteners 91 which are inserted through the legs and the slots 85.

Referring to the embodiment of FIGS. 9 and 10, it will be seen that the illustrated tub construction 10a differs from the previously described embodiment of FIGS. l8 in the formation of the top part of the center dividing wall 16a. In this embodiment of the invention, the upper edge of the center dividing wall is coextensive with the ledge 25a and is level with the tops of the front and outer side walls. This formation of the wall 16a, wherein at least the upper edge of the top rear section thereof is coextensive with the ledge 25a, reinforces and strengthens the juncture of the ledge with the back wall 120: in'the same manner as the center wall formation of the previously described embodiment. In order to permit water to flow from one of the compartments 14a or 15a into the other compartment without spilling from the tub, the wall 16a is formed with a hole 95 which defines a flow passage. The flow passage defined by the hole 95 is the equivalent of the flow passage defined by the upper edge of the wall 16 in the embodiment of FIGS. 1-8. It will be apparent that the hole 95, which is located near the upper edge of the wall 16a, can be formed in any position between the front and back walls of the tub 10a.

The invention thus provides a new, molded, laundry tub which either can be mounted on a wall or supported on legs. When mounted on a wall, the construction of the new tub is such that it is capable of withstanding unexpectedly high loads without failure. Alternately, the tub can be supported on legs by the simple expedient of connecting bracket plates to the molded formations at each corner of the tub and then securing legs to the bracket plates.

It will also be seen that the preferred structure makes it possible to mold as a one-piece unit a double tub having unexpected strength and rigidity.

Many modifications and variations of the invention will be apparent to those skilled in the art in the light of the foregoing detailed disclosure. It is to be understood, therefore, that within the scope of the appended claims, the invention can be practiced otherwise than as specifically shown and described.

What is claimed is:

1. A laundry tub comprising a molded one-piece member including:

(a) front, back, bottom and side walls,

a ledge at the top of said tub projecting rearwardly from said back wall, and

a center dividing wall extending between said front and back walls and separating said tub into two compartments,

(b) said center dividing wall having a first upper edge edge portion disposed below the level of the tops of said front, back and sidewalls to provide an overflow area, whereby water from one of said compartments can flow over said center dividing wall into the other of said compartments without spilling from said tub,

(c) said center dividing wall having a top rear section defining a support area which minimizes the tendency of said tub to crack at the juncture of said ledge and back wall, said top rear section having an upper edge which is above said first upper edge portion, and

(d) said center dividing wall having a bifurcated lower portion defining two spaced apart wall sections which are divergent toward said bottom walls and merge therewith, said front and back walls having integral portions extending cross-wise of said wall sections and said integral portions being tapered in thickness from the tops of said wall sections to the lower edges of said integral portions.

2. A laundry tub comprising a molded one-piece member including:

(a) front, back, bottom and side walls,

a ledge at the top of said tub projecting rearwardly from said back wall, and

a center dividing wall extending between said front and back walls and separating said tub into two compartments,

(b) said center dividing wall having a hole therethrough for permitting Water to flow from one of said compartments into the other of said compartments without spilling from said tub,

(c) said center dividing wall having a top rear portion defining a support area which minimizes the tendency for said tub to crack at the juncture of said ledge and back wall, said portion having an upper edge which is above said hole, and

(d) said center dividing wall having a bifurcated lower portion defining two spaced apart wall sections which are divergent toward said bottom walls and merge therewith, said front and back walls having integral portions extending cross wise of said wall sections, and said integral portions being tapered in thickness from the tops of said spaced apart wall sections to the lower edges of said integral portions.

3. A laundry tub comprising a molded one-piece member including: i

(a) front, back, bottom and side walls, a dividing wall extending between said front and back walls and separating said tub into two compartments, and a ledge at the top of said tub projecting rearwardly from said back wall,

(b) said dividing wall being bifurcated to define two spaced apart wall sections which are divergent toward said bottom wall and merge therewith, said front and back walls having integral portions extending crosswise of said spaced apart wall sections,

() said dividing wall being formed to provide a passage for permitting water from one of said compartments to flow into the other of said compartments without spilling from said tub,

(d) said dividing wall having a top rear section defining a support area which minimizes the tendency of said tub to crack at the juncture of said ledge with said back wall, said section having a portion which is above the portion of said dividing wall that provides said passage,

(e) and said tub further including flanges depending from the undersurface of said tub at each corner thereof, and legs connected to said flanges.

4. A tub as claimed in claim 3 including bracket plates connected to the undersurface of said tub at the corners thereof, each of said brackets including two adjacent side edge portions formed to define said flanges.

5. A laundry tub comprising a molded one-piece member including:

(a) front, back and outer side walls, and a dividing wall separating said tub into two compartments each having a bottom wall,

(b) said dividing wall being bifurcated to define spaced apart wall sections, said wall sections being divergent toward said bottom walls and marging therewith,

(c) and said front and back walls including integral portions extending crosswise of said wall sections, said integral portions being tapered in thickness from the tops of said wall sections to the lower edges of said integral portions.

6. A tub as claimed in claim 5 wherein the integral portion of said back wall includes an opening between said wall sections, and wherein the height of said opening is less than that of said wall sections.

7. A tub as claimed in claim 6 including a ledge at the top of said tub extending rearwardly from said back wall, said dividing wall having a top rear portion which is coextensive with the level of said ledge and which extends forwardly from said back wall, and said dividing wall having another portion which provides a passage for permitting water from one of said compartments to flow into the other of said compartments without spilling from said tub.

8. A tub as claimed in claim 7 including:

(f) raised pad formations on the undersurfaces of said bottom walls at the corners of said tub,

(g) each of said pad formations including:

(i) a diagonal flange,

(ii) two merging side flanges, and

(iii) bosses located near the ends of said diagonal flange and between said side flanges,

(iv) said bosses having holes formed therein,

(h) a bracket plate mounted against each of said pad formations,

(i) each of said brackets having adjacent side flanges,

and

(j) a leg mounted against and secured to said side flanges of each bracket plate.

9. A laundry tub comprising a molded one-piece member including:

(a) front, back, bottom and side walls, and a dividing wall extending between said front and back walls and separating said tub into two compartments,

(b) said dividing wall being bifurcated to define spaced apart wall sections, said front and back walls including integral portions extending cross-wise of said wall sections at the front and back of said tub, said integral portions being tapered in thickness from the tops of said spaced apart wall sections to the lower edges of said integral portions,

(c) said dividing wall being formed to provide a passage for permitting water from one of said compartments to flow into the other of said compartments without spilling from said tub,

(d) and said dividing wall having a section joined to said back wall so as to strength and prevent cracking of said tub, part of said section extending above the part of said dividing wall which provides said passage.

10. A tub as claimed in claim 9 wherein at least one of said integral portions includes a vertically elongated opening between said wall sections.

11. A laundry tub comprising a molded one-piece member including:

(a) front, back, bottom and side walls, a dividing wall extending between said front and back walls and separating said tub into two compartments, and a ledge at the top of said tub projecting rearwardly from said back wall,

(b) said dividing wall being bifurcated to define two spaced apart wall sections which are divergent toward said bottom walls and merge therewith, said front and back walls having integral portions extending cross-wise of said spaced apart wall sections,

(c) said dividing wall being formed to provide a passage for permitting water from one of said compartments to flow into the other of said compartments without spilling from said tub,

(d) said dividing wall having a top rear section defining a support area which minimizes the tendency of said tub to crack at the juncture of said ledge and said back wall, said section having a portion which is above the portion of said dividing wall that provides said passage, and

(e) a plurality of spaced ribs extending from the undersurface of said ledge to said back wall.

12. A laundry tub comprising a molded one-piece member including:

(a) front, back, bottom and side walls, a dividing wall extending between said front and back walls and separating said tub into two compartments, and a ledge at the top of said tub projecting rearwardly from said back wall,

(b) said dividing wall being bifurcated to define two spaced apart Wall sections which are divergent toward said bottom walls and merge therewith, said front and back walls having integral portions extending cross-wise of said spaced apart wall sections, said integral portions being tapered in thickness from the tops of said spaced apart wall sections to the lower edges of said integral portions,

(c) said dividing wall being formed to provide a passage for permitting water from one of said comparttments to flow into the other of said compartments without spilling from said tub,

(d) and said dividing wall having a top rear section defining a support area which minimizes the tendency of said tub to crack at the juncture of said ledge and said back wall, said section having a portion which is above the portion of said dividing wall that provides said passage.

LAVERNE D. GEIGER, Primary Examiner.

H. J. GROSS, Assistant Examiner. 

